My name is Tanner the Pit Bull. I was living on the street when a kind lady took me to the shelter, the jail for dogs. I was supposed to 'go to sleep', but then Lou and Eugenie showed up and took me home. We've written a book about it, GIMME SHELTER. We're hoping you'll drop by from time to time to learn what's new with us and our friends. We'll be talking about rescue dogs, especially Pit Bulls, anger issues, and things we love, like movies, books, travel and karate.

B.R.A.G. MEDALLION WINNER

B.R.A.G. MEDALLION WINNER

Sunday, July 31, 2016

For many film fans, the name Christopher Walken
conjures up a host of moody, intense, and sometimes dangerous cinematic
characters. If asked to guess his preference in pets, we might think, rats,
bats, or snakes…very lethal snakes. But that would be way, way off base. In a
recent issue of Parade Magazine, the super-talented thespian confessed to being
the doting daddy of a feral cat. Makes you wonder how many other books (and
people) we’ve misjudged by looking only at the cover.

Cuddly Christopher Walken

As reported in the LosAngeles Times on July 30, a new study published in Science Advances concludes
that eastern and red wolves are actually a subspecies of the gray wolf and not
two distinct species as previously believed. DNA analysis of all three
populations revealed their common ancestry as well as the presence of coyote
DNA in the red and eastern wolves. It's the prevalence of coyote ancestry – 75%
in red wolves and 25% in eastern – that accounts for the differences in size
and appearance. Conservationists are hopeful that the new findings will ensure
the continued protection of the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act.

Gray Wolves

We
were thrilled to read that California Gov. Jerry Brown recently signed A.B.1825 into law. The bill provides that dogs confiscated from convicted dog
fighters will now be eligible for rehabilitation and, if successful, adoption.
Previously, such dogs were deemed ‘dangerous’ and euthanized. Kudos to all of
the rescue organizations and concerned dog lovers who helped secure the bills
passage. In another triumph for animal rescue, NBC's sponsorship of the ‘ClearThe Shelters’ one-day event proved to be a huge success. According to the
just-released figures, 6000 animals were adopted in Southern California on July
23 and more than 45,000 nationwide.

Willa, a fight dog saved by Karma Rescue

Finally, a hearty shout out to L.A. County SupervisorMichael D. Antonovitch for his proposal to create a much-needed animal shelter
at the County’s Pitchess Detention center in Castaic. If approved, the plan
would attempt to address two of the region's most pressing concerns –
overcrowded shelters in the rehabilitation of repeat offenders. Based on
successful efforts like Karma Rescue’s ‘Paws For Life’ at the Lancaster (CA)
men's prison, the Prison Pet Partnership (WA), and Paws In Prison (AR), the
program would provide care for animals in need while giving inmates an
emotional lift and offering job training for possible future employment in the
animal care industry.